No Escape
by redtigerlily
Summary: You can never truly escape your fate. When the Sons turned thirteen, they gained access to The Power and they weren't the only ones. Aubrey Parry was gifted as well, but there is something different about her and it can't be controlled. She left Ipswich and has never been seen since. The Sons have been continuing on as if nothing has changed, but soon everything will.
1. I

I do now own the characters from The Covenant, but I do own any OC I create and any content unfamiliar from the film.

A/N: Just so you know, this FF is set before the movie and will eventually lead into it.

* * *

"That's the funny thing about trying to escape.

You never really can. Maybe temporarily, but not completely."

~Jennifer L. Armentrout, Onyx~

 _Before…_

It rattled everything inside of him to hear the sounds coming from the room across the hall. It had been going on for the last thirty minutes and he wished he could make all of her problems go away. Things were fine before they turned thirteen, but since then, everything had changed.

He pushed the comforter aside and climbed out of his bed. When his warm feet came in contact with the cold floor, he immediately regretted not putting on socks beforehand. Barefooted, he left his room to enter the room of his sister.

Pogue knocked against the hardwood and waited for his sister to respond. When she didn't, he knocked again and only got sniffles in response. He sighed and quietly asked her to open the door, afraid that their mother would hear them.

"C'mon, Aubrey. If you don't let me in, Mom is going to catch me out here," he pleaded from outside the door.

Aubrey was perched on the windowsill of her room, her small body curled into a ball. She did not want to see her brother at the moment, but she was tired of being alone. Her mother seldom let her outside of her room ever since she turned thirteen. It was a miserable existence to be trapped in one room and only know what resided within its four walls.

Pogue knocked again when she didn't answer his plea.

Forcing herself to move from her spot, Aubrey Parry walked to the door and unlocked it, allowing her brother to enter her bedroom. She closed the door almost as fast as she had opened it once he was inside.

The room was dark, except for the single light that was near the ornate four-poster bed in the center of the room. The walls were covered in various drawings and paintings, which Aubrey had done whenever inspiration had come over her.

Pogue's eyes landed on the easel that was positioned near the windowsill and saw beginning sketches of a yellow canary. He never got a chance to see her when she busy working on a project, but he was able to catch glimpses of her finished work at times.

"What do you want, Nic?" Aubrey folded her arms over her chest and hesitantly lifted her head so that she could make eye contact with him.

"I heard you crying and I wanted to check on you," he answered her, somberly. She was the only one to ever use his birth name rather than the name he chose to go by.

She laughed softly, wiping at the tears that had fallen earlier. "I wasn't crying."

He closed the space that separated them and pulled his sister into a hug, holding her close. She did not need to act tough in front of him. She, of all people, should know that. She was his little sister and he loved her more than anything. It was cruel the way she could never leave her room ever since her birthday. "It's okay to cry, Aubrey. I will always be here for you."

When he hugged her, Aubrey's arms hung limply at her sides, but after hearing his comforting words, she returned the hug and cried into his shoulder. "I hate this, Nic. It's been two years and nothing has changed. She promised this was only temporary. What is she scared of? Is something so wrong with me? You and the boys have the Power, and you guys haven't been locked away."

Pogue backed out of the hug and held his sister by her shoulders, looking her directly in the eyes. "Aubrey, stop that. Nothing is wrong with you. Mom…is just worried."

Aubrey forcibly pulled away from Pogue when she felt her body begin to shake as rage consumed her. Worried did not cover the extreme measures her mother took to shield her form everyone and everything. Locking her away and saying it was for her own good was the biggest lie. She was fourteen now and was no sooner leaving this room than she was a year ago.

Her brother saw what was happening. He had said the wrong thing and if he did not help his sister reign in her emotions, it could get ugly. "Aubrey, please listen to me. I will do everything I can to get you out of here. I promise. Everything will be alright."

"Promise?" The ringing she heard in her head was slowly ebbing as she registered what Pogue was saying to her. A sense of tranquility replaced the anger that had surfaced inside of her.

Pogue smiled at her and reached to hold her hand, giving it a mild squeeze. "I promise."

Aubrey smiled for the first time in a long time and hugged her brother tightly, grateful for him. She wasn't sure how she would have lasted this long without his support and love. "Thank you so much," she murmured.

When she released her brother, Aubrey returned to her usual spot by the window and brought her knees to her chest. "How are the boys? I haven't seen them in awhile."

Their mother was afraid of having the others interact with her especially since she was such a wild card.

"They're good. They do remember you if that's what you're wondering."

"Maybe one day I can see them again. You're great, Nic, but besides you, they're my only other friends."

Pogue sat in the spot across from her. "What about Saoirse? She's been over a couple of times."

Aubrey shook her head at him. "It's the not the same." Saoirse had been her closest friend growing up outside of the other families, but she could never understand this part of her life. Aubrey probably looked like the worst friend in the world for disappearing like she did.

Outside the door, they heard movement. Aubrey and Pogue shared equal expressions, afraid that it was their mother. She instructed Pogue to hide in her closet just in case their mother decided to check inside her room. Fortunately enough for them, she did not come inside.

Aubrey approached the closet. "Thanks for checking on me, but you should probably get back to your room."

Pogue agreed with her and abandoned his hiding spot and headed towards the door. Before he left her room, he turned to speak to her. "If you ever need me, Aubrey, I am right across the hall."

Aubrey nodded her head to him and as soon as he was gone, she went to stand in front of her easel to examine her artwork. She sometimes felt like a little bird trapped in her cage and like a bird, she desperately needed to stretch her wings. Nothing and no one in Ipswich would provide her the answers she needed. Her parents had no idea what to do with her and as her powers continued to mature, she needed to find the answers she needed.

"There has to be an explanation for my existence. I can't be the only girl that possess powers," she murmured to herself.

Her mind was made up. She needed to escape her cage once and for all.

 _Sorry, Pogue_

* * *

 _Now…_

The weather had already begun to change as the end of summer approached and the beginning of the school semester inched closer. Around this time of the year, parties sprung up around the area of Ipswich in attempt at a last hoorah before things got serious with classes again.

The usual crowd at Nicky's had the small building packed with young adults. There were a few couples on the dance floor, people sitting at the scattered tables eating various items off the menu, and patrons ordering drinks at the bar.

Pogue Parry leaned his leather-clad arms across the bar as he waited to retrieve his drinks and food from Nicky. He had a long day at the garage and was in desperate need of a hot meal. The boys wanted to meet at the local bar like they always did, even though he desperately wanted to head to his place and sleep for the next five hours.

To his left was a girl who reminded him of his sister. He knew that it was not Aubrey. Though she was not an exact ringer for her, he pictured the girl with his sister's long, ash brown hair and chartreuse eyes. His sister had been gone for three years. He thought he was enough to make her stay. Pogue promised her that he would be there for at all times and never let her feel like she was alone. That was what siblings did for each other.

Searching for her proved to be useless because she vanished without a trace and did not leave any sign as to where she went.

Before he could get too lost in his thoughts, Reid Garwin's voice rang out from the crowd as he cheered on his partner-in-crime, Tyler, for sinking a pool ball into a pocket.

Once he was handed his basket of fries and burger, Pogue went over to greet his friends, eating fries with every step he took. The basket was short half of the fries by the time he reached the pool tables. He clapped Reid on the back with his free hand. "Staying out of trouble, boys?"

"You know we're always on our best behavior," Reid remarked, his eyes focused on the game before him. He briefly lifted his eyes away from the pool table to make eye contact with Pogue. "Until we're provoked that is."

"Just don't get us kicked out this time, Reid," Pogue warned him, lightly. "Caleb and I do not want to bail your ass out of trouble again."

Reid scoffed at that, before moving into position to take his turn.

Tyler turned to face Pogue. "Like we would get into trouble. Besides, we can handle ourselves just fine."

Pogue did not believe that in the slightest, but if they wanted to believe in their little fantasy; he would let them and not feed into it.

He left the pool tables and made his way to one of the empty tables near the dance floor. Pogue set his basket on top of the wooden surface, and then reached for the ketchup bottle to drizzle his fries with.

Before he had the chance to take a fry into his mouth, his phone vibrating in his pocket interrupted him. Pogue produced the phone in his palm and read the display, which informed him that Caleb was running late.

' _Great. Now, I'm stuck to watch over the knuckleheads by himself for a while longer_ ,' he thought to himself.

* * *

Caleb reached the bottom of the stairs when he heard the faint pop of a bottle from the living room. He dragged a hand down his face to compose himself. His mother did not deserve this. With every drink, she seemed to retreat further and further into herself, and it was Caleb's responsibility to pull her back.

"Mom, what are you doing?" He asked from the threshold.

Caleb moved in closer to her when she did not respond. "I thought you were in bed."

She brought the glass to her deep red lips and let the warm drink burn down her throat, then set the glass on top of the table on her right. Evelyn adored her son with every fiber of her body, but hearing his voice and seeing his face only reminded her of the loss of her husband. Drinking ebbed her of her pain and eased her into sleep without the torturous nightmares of what was.

Caleb knelt in front of his mother and took her cold hands into his much warmer ones. "Come with me. I'll help you upstairs."

Evelyn removed her hands from Caleb's, turning her head away. "You don't need to dote on me, Caleb. I am capable of taking care of myself."

He sighed. She was never going to make this easy for him.

Caleb was about to convince her to let him help when he heard a rapid knock at the front door. He was not expecting company and he was sure his mother was not either. Reid and Tyler were at the bar, and so was Pogue, but maybe he wanted to stop by before he went.

He left his mother's side to answer the door and to his surprise, it was not anyone he recognized.

Standing on the other side of the door was a tall female, a few inches shorter than he was. She was dressed in a tight, black dress that clung to her curvy figure due to the pouring rain. Her bare arms were wrapped around herself as she looked imploringly at Caleb with her bright, hazel eyes.

"Hi, I'm sorry to bother you, but I need help. You see, my car broke down and I have no idea where I am," she said to Caleb.

She appeared harmless, but people were not always easy to read by first glance. Caleb's gaze dropped down to her feet and noticed they were missing shoes, which left her feet dirty and slightly bruised.

"What happened to your shoes?"

The girl gestured behind her with her thumb and had a weary smile on her face. "Back at my car. Heels aren't exactly my first choice when it comes to walking long distances."

Evelyn appeared behind Caleb after hearing the commotion. "Caleb, what's going on?" Upon seeing the girl, Evelyn drew her eyebrows together and regarded the girl with concern etched over her features. The girl relayed the same story she told Caleb prior. "You must be freezing. Caleb, let her inside."

Caleb grimaced as he opened the door wider so that the girl could enter the home.

She said her thanks as she hurriedly stepped inside, taking an effort to not make tracks on the carpet.

Evelyn guided the girl towards the living room and offered her a seat on the couch, but she politely refused.

"I wouldn't want to make more of a mess. You've already been too kind by letting me inside," she said.

"Caleb, why don't you show her to the bathroom so that she can get cleaned up and then go from there."

Caleb nodded his head and then sent a quick text to Pogue telling him that he would be late.

"Follow me," he said, and then began walking towards the stairs.

They continued up the stairs in silence and it was not until they reached the bathroom that Caleb decided to speak. "Do you have a name?"

The girl laughed softly, tucking a wet strand of her blue, black hair behind her ear. "I guess you should know the name of the girl you let into your house."

She held out a hand for him to shake. "I go by Laurel. Laurel Lacoste."


	2. II

I do not own The Covenant, but I do own any OC I create and any content unfamiliar from the film

a/n: Thank you for the views, favorites, and follows! I really appreciate it. Special thank you to my first reviewer: kaileylopez15.

 _Before…_

"What's it like?" Aubrey was stretched out on the ground; the soft blades of grass tickling her back through the fabric of her white, cotton Oxford shirt. They had been outside for the last hour enjoying the day to themselves after a long day at school earlier.

She rolled onto her stomach and rested her chin on top of her elbows. "You know, receiving The Power. Caleb never explained it to me, and you haven't had the chance to tell me either."

Pogue, who was sitting across from her, did not speak right away. He and the other boys were informed of The Power as soon as they were able to comprehend unlike Aubrey. Their mother never even considered that Aubrey would even receive The Power since she was not a boy so, it was not necessary to educate her about it.

The truth was that he never wanted his little sister to ever find out about The Power and what it was capable of. They were groomed to grasp the concept of the seductive nature of The Power, and the consequences of that.

Aubrey let out a small, frustrated noise when he did not respond to her. Getting on her knees, she crawled closer to him and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Pogue! Were you even listening to me?"

Her big eyes were staring him incredulously and Pogue did his best not laugh at her tone of voice.

"Yeah, I heard you, Aubs. Calm down." He focused his attention on her and shrugged nonchalantly. "It isn't a big deal, really."

Aubrey got to her feet then and hovered over him. Standing or sitting, she was still taller than her brother. His behavior astounded her more often than not. While she was a bundle of energy half of the time, he was usually not and never came close to her energy level. Sometimes their conflicting personalities resulted in fights, either physical or verbal. Aubrey did not believe in letting her brother think she was weaker than him in any way.

"Sorry, but I don't think I have had a calm moment in my life. I just don't see why you don't want to talk about this. It seems so cool," Aubrey pressed on. "To be able to do so many things."

Tilting his head up, Pogue narrowed his eyes slightly at his sister. Naïveté could not have been demonstrated more than in this moment. Aubrey did not understand. It was not her fault. To Aubrey, it was a superpower, but to those who knew the true burden of The Power—it was a curse. Aubrey did not even know the truth about their father.

"Aubs, it is not as amazing as you think. You don't know what it is like at all."

"Then tell me about it! No one ever does. Is it because I'm a girl? I can handle it! It isn't fair!"

"You know that it isn't about that. It's for your own good."

At some point, Pogue had gotten up from the ground and was standing directly in front of his sister. He reached out to touch her shoulder, but she just recoiled from his touch.

"Aubrey, c'mon," he pleaded.

"I don't need you to watch out for me. None of you," Aubrey murmured, looking away from him.

Pogue sighed. There was no getting to her when she got like this. He considered giving her some space, but thought against it. She was upset and he understood that.

He put both of his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him in order that she could not look away from him. Pogue smiled at her, waiting for her to return the smile. Aubrey twisted her lips to keep the smile from happening, but her efforts were fruitless, because she gave way to her brother's goofy smile.

"I hate you," she said through her laughter. She did not mean those words in the slightest.

"I hate you, too, brat," he responded, playfully. While she was off guard, Pogue seized the opportunity to ruffle Aubrey's curly hair and earned a squeal as she tried to escape, and soon they were running across the lawn.

* * *

Beatrice stood by the window of the master bedroom with a glass of water in her hand. She had been watching her children for a while now, as she seldom did. It brought a small smile on her face when she saw them enjoying each other's company.

It almost made her forget her troubles. Almost.

She never regretted having her daughter. In fact, Beatrice cherished her little girl. She worried about her immensely and it was slowly consuming her with each day Aubrey grew in front of her eyes.

Pogue had just turned thirteen and received The Power. The siblings were only a year apart in age, which meant unknown things for Aubrey. Only boys were able to gain access to The Power so far as she knew. That scared her more than anything. She did not know what scared her more: her daughter getting The Power or something worse. She did not want to say or think it out of fear of acknowledging the possibility.

Beatrice drew the curtains over the windows, blocking the sun from entering the room, and then moved away from the window and further into the room.

She took in her surroundings and was immediately hit with nostalgia. The room contained a mixture of both good memories and bad memories. The opulent vintage design failed to create an image of security for her anymore. It only made her sink deeper into despair.

From where she was standing, she could hear the ring of the telephone in the hallway. Beatrice placed the half empty glass of water on the nearest surface then went into the hallway to answer the call.

"Hello," she greeted.

"Beatrice, it's Meredith. I'm just calling you to let you know that we made plans for Reid's birthday. Will Nicholas and Aubrey be able to come?"

"Yes, of course, Meredith. They will be excited to go," Beatrice answered. "But what time will it be?"

Meredith Garwin knew exactly what Beatrice was really asking when she heard the change in her voice. "Don't worry, Beatrice. It will be after Reid receives his powers and we will firmly remind him to not show off in front of her."

Beatrice breathed out an audible sigh of relief.

"Thank you. How have you been?"

They continued their conversation on the phone for at least thirty minutes. Meredith was what Beatrice needed to remind her that the sky was not falling anytime soon and she valued her friendship with her, because of Meredith's compassionate personality.

Everything would be okay. It had to be.

* * *

 _Now…_

"Caleb, man, I know you said you'd be late, but this is a little more than late for you," Pogue said through the phone. "What's going on?"

Caleb looked at the closed bathroom door. Laurel was inside the bathroom using the facilities to clean herself up, and he hoped she was not within earshot of him talking to his friend. He did not want to be too far away from her, in case she was not who she said she was, but he did not want too be too close to the bathroom either so, he stood at the end of the hall. His mother went to bed, which meant he was the only one left to watch the girl.

"There's a small complication," he informed Pogue.

"What kind of complication?"

"I was on my way out to head to Nicky's when a girl showed up at my door. Apparently her car broke down and she walked until she found our house."

Pogue was silent for a minute.

"If you don't want to come, Caleb, I'm sure I could let it slide considering your situation."

"It's not like that. I don't even know if her story checks out yet," Caleb insisted. He could not deny that Laurel was attractive, but it did not even cross his mind until Pogue mentioned it.

"Look, I'll round up the boys and then we can head over."

"No, don't worry about it. I'll be at Nicky's in twenty minutes, as soon as I finish up here."

A sultry voice interrupted his call. It seemed to carry such an assertive aura with it when it reached his ears." I didn't mean to interrupt your night."

Caleb looked up and what he saw made him almost drop his phone. There was Laurel; wearing nothing but the beige towel wrapped around her slender frame. Water dripped from the ends of her damp hair and her exposed skin glistened under the hallway lights. The corners of her mouth curved as she casted an imploring look at him, before moving closer to close the distance between them by a few feet until he could smell the honeysuckle scent emitting from her skin.

"Don't worry about it," he managed to get out. "Didn't you see the clothes my mother left for you while yours dries?"

"Clothes?"

Laurel glanced behind her and saw the neatly folded pair of clothes that was waiting for her outside of the bathroom on the wooden end table.

"Oh, I guess I didn't hear her when she dropped them off. I hope I'm not making you too uncomfortable."

"Not in the slightest," he reassured her. He was not sure if he believed it. "Could you change and then we can see what we can do about your car?"

Laurel nodded her head. "Yeah, of course. Would you be able to take me to Nicky's? I was on my way to party, but I think I'd rather go there."

Caleb told her that he would and Laurel left his side to return to the bathroom to put on the clothes that was left for her by Caleb's mother. Once her presence disappeared, Caleb was able to breathe again. He lifted the phone back to his ear and caught the tail end of Pogue laughing, and to his torment, he heard the voices of Reid and Tyler in the background as well.

"Please tell me you are bringing her to Nicky's," he heard Reid's eager voice say.

"Yeah, Caleb, we need to see how little this complication is," Tyler interjected after Reid.

Caleb heard the sound of the phone being passed around and then Pogue's voice. "Sorry, Caleb. The vultures overheard the conversation and took my phone."

"It's fine."

Laurel exited the bathroom wearing one of his mother's old dresses. The dress was a vintage plum sundress, and though it was not a perfect fit, it served its purpose.

"I'll see you in a bit," he said, before hanging up the phone and meeting Laurel halfway in the hall.

"It's not the best fit," she noted, toying with the flare of the dress. "But it is much better than a towel."

"Do you remember where you left your car?"

"Not exactly, since I ran most of the way, but I remember seeing a sign for Graves Road, before my car stalled."

Graves Road was not too far from the Danvers estate, but it was a decent walk on foot. He would drive her out there and check out the car, and then hope that he would be able to fix what was wrong with it.

"Your dress should be dry by now. I'll go check on it and then we can be on our way."

Unfortunately, Caleb was not able to fix the car. Unlike Pogue, he was not an expert on cars. Caleb told Laurel that she could ask Pogue to check out her car for her and she expressed her thanks for helping her out.

The ride to the bar was not entirely awkward and the two exchanged a few words to each other during the ride. By the time they reached the parking lot, most of the cars were exiting the lot. This was a first for Caleb. He usually came at the height of business with the boys. Another first for him was coming with someone other than Pogue, Tyler, and Reid.

When they entered, Caleb noticed how Laurel seemed to gain the attention of various patrons. He ushered her in the direction of the table where the boys usually sat at, and mentally prepared himself to handle Reid.

Caleb introduced Laurel to the boys, gesturing to each one of them after he said their names. "Laurel, this is Pogue, Tyler, and Reid."

Laurel smiled at them the whole time, stretching out a friendly hand for each of them to shake. Tyler shook her hand first, but when Reid did, he flipped her hand over so that he could press a kiss to it; earning an amused expression from Laurel.

"I guess you're the charming one," she joked.

"And the most handsome one, but I think you already know that," Reid said without hesitation.

"And the most irritating one," Pogue added. He rolled his eyes at Reid and then reached to shake Laurel's hand. As soon as he shook Laurel's hand, a slight chill came over him. He looked at her as if he was examining an organism under a microscope.

"Are you okay?" Laurel prodded him; concerned by the way he was scrutinizing her. She slowly removed her hand from his.

Pogue snapped out of his daze when Laurel let go of his hand. "Uh…yeah, yeah. I'm good, sorry about that. Caleb told me about your car. I could take a look at if you want."

"That would be great. Thank you."

A few minutes before the bar closed, Laurel excused herself to make a phone call. Pogue's eyes followed her all the while and Caleb did not miss it.

"Something isn't right about her, Caleb."

Caleb felt the same way, but Pogue said it before he could. He was grateful that he was not the only one. "I know."

"I just can't put my finger on it just yet," Pogue continued. "Keep an eye on her."

Pogue glanced at the door that Laurel went out of, before lifting himself from his chair. "I'm going to head out. I'll talk to you later."

He said good-bye to Tyler and Reid, before he left Nicky's.


	3. III

I do not own The Covenant, but I do own any OC I create and any content unfamiliar from the film.

a/n: thank you for views! I apologize for getting this to y'all so late, but I had a lot of personal things last month & just never had time to upload anything.

III.

The night sky was bare of glimmering stars and the moon remained hidden behind the thin clouds. Without the natural light, only the single beam from Pogue's motorcycle lit the path down the black road.

As he rode, he wondered if he should have stayed to make sure that boys were okay, before he left. He just could not shake the bad feeling he received from Laurel at Nicky's. The sensation he received was hard to describe, but the closest he came to describing it was chilling. It was probably nothing. Reid could have been messing with him and he was letting it get the best of him.

Pogue was speeding around the curve of the road when a shimmer caught the corner of his eyes and he felt compelled to check it out. Easing up on the accelerator and applying his breaks so that he would be able check out whatever was cause.

After parking his bike on the side of the road, he removed his helmet and his dirty blonde hair fell free. Pogue set the helmet on top of the seat, and then proceeded to walk away from the bike and closer to the outstretched cluster of trees.

What he saw unsettled his stomach. There, nestled in the high grass, was the body of a female dressed in jeans and t-shirt. Her clothes did not show evidence of a struggle—in fact, it appeared someone had placed her there. He was not completely sure given her current state, but she reminded him of Laurel. It was impossible to conceive, because he knew that when he left Nicky's, Laurel was there with the boys.

All the color had been drained from the girl's once olive skin and her face was frozen with an expression reflecting shock. There was no sign of life present. Judging by the condition of her flesh, Pogue assumed that she had not been dead long—most likely a couple of hours.

Blank, unexpressive eyes stared up at Pogue, but that was not what bothered him the most. It was the fact that he could not see her irises, because a milky gray film shielded them. Deep down in his belly he was sure that what he saw was not normal.

Enclosed in the girl's frozen hand, he noticed the cause of the shimmer he saw when he was riding on his bike. She possessed a dainty silver bracelet adorned with opal baubles in her hand and judging by the tension remaining in her fingers, the girl must have yanked it from someone or something before she died.

With his eyes focused on her hand, they traveled further and noticed a strange mark burnt into her skin. Something about the mark seemed familiar to him, but he could not place where he had seen it before. He would definitely need to call Caleb and the others to discuss the sight.

"What happened to you?" Pogue questioned aloud. This was not a common thing to find in Ipswich.

At the moment he pulled out his phone to call it in to the police, the wind picked up to an excessive speed. A few wayward strands of hair blew across his hair, temporarily hindering his vision.

Suddenly, a fire started. The wild flames licked the body of the deceased female and it did not take long before the body was completely engulfed by the flames.

He was not alone.

Pogue's eyes darted around the area in search of a sign of another presence, but did not see anything that even hinted at it.

"Show yourself. Now," Pogue demanded, shouting at his empty surroundings.

He received no answer, but the flames that were a few feet from where he was standing had begun to die out just as fast they had come. All of the evidence of the girl's presence was gone just like that. There was not even a sign of remnants.

Pogue backed away from the site and returned to where he left his motorcycle. He mounted the vehicle, placed his head helmet on his head, and sped away from the scene.

* * *

"What the hell was that," a male voice demanded on the other end of the phone. He did not even bother hiding his anger. He knew she was not ready. This was her final test and she failed miserably.

She had no idea how he could have possibly found out so soon. He must have followed her to town to make sure she carried out her tasks.

"I had to cover my tracks some way. I didn't know what else to do. I panicked. I thought the glamour would last longer," she defended herself.

"I knew you weren't ready for this. We should have continued training."

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I planned on handling the body, but I did not get a chance to. Just give me another chance. I know I can do this. I'm ready."

There was a slight hesitation on his end. He could tell from her tone that she was anxious to prove him wrong, but he knew better. What they were doing required them to lay low and if she acted recklessly, it put them both at risk.

He sighed into the phone and took a moment before speaking to her again. "Fine. One more chance, but if you blow it then you will not get another."

With that said, he hung up the phone.

She was thankful that he granted her a second chance, but she figured that it was without consequence. He would probably be keeping a closer eye on her than before. From now on, things needed to change and she needed to act smarter.

* * *

He had been trying to call Caleb for the past couple of minutes since he arrived at the garage. Ever since he started working at the garage, it had been a great way to escape for staying at his house. Things just were not the same there.

The living space was small, but it worked for him.

"C'mon, Caleb, pick up the damn phone," he muttered.

There is a rapid knock at the main door of the garage. Pogue stopped pacing the room when he heard the noise and slipped his phone in his back pocket. His first thought was that it was Caleb, but he was sure that Caleb would have answered the phone. Tyler and Reid seldom visited his place so that ruled them out.

He continued going down the list of people, but the list evaporated the moment he opened the door. It just was not conceivable.

Standing in front of him was girl a few inches shorter than he was dressed in a plum top and black skirt over black leggings. The heels she was wearing gave her a few inches that she did not have.

At first glance he did not recognize her, but when her eyes caught the gleam of the overhead light, everything about her became familiar. Those chartreuse eyes seemed more beautiful than he remembered and when she flashed him her best smile, a wave of emotions hit him.

It was his sister. His mind could not even comprehend what he was seeing at the moment. He wondered if she was even real.

"It's really me, Nic. I'm here," she said to him, as if confirming his thoughts.

Aubrey reached out to him with one hand and gingerly brushed her fingertips across his leather jacket. She waited a moment to gauge his reaction, before she stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Pogue.

Pogue returned the gesture and held onto his sister tight. "Where the hell have you been?"

Aubrey could tell hear the strain in her brother's voice and it made her eyes water slightly.

"It's a long story," she murmured through the leather.

Pogue broke the hug first and braced his hands on Aubrey's shoulders. "Come inside."

He had a lot of questions for his sister to answer and did not plan on letting her out of his sight until they were answered.


	4. IV

I do not own The Covenant. I only own any OC I create and any content unfamiliar from the film.

* * *

IV.

Aubrey sat across from Pogue on the reasonably sized black futon. A patterned wool blanket was underneath her, and created a great cushion between her and the seat. As she sat there, Aubrey craned her head around to take in the area. It felt more like home than the house she grew up in. When she focused her attention on Pogue, who was sitting on a tall, wooden stool positioned across from her, Aubrey noticed that his eyes never waned from her.

She knew where his mind was at without him speaking a single word. He wanted answers as to where she went and why she never said anything about it when she did. She was the reason why he was hurting and there was no way to ease his pain. Those green eyes carried the endless turmoil he endured in short time span.

The siblings had been sitting in silence for the past five minutes since she entered the room. Aubrey felt it was much better than the alternative, which involved Pogue shouting at her and hating her for next couple of years.

Eventually, Pogue got off the chair and crossed the room to make it to the makeshift kitchen area. "Do you want something to drink or something to eat? There isn't much here."

He opened door of the small refrigerator to check what he had to offer his sister. So far, all he could see were bottles of water and couple of open cans of soda.

When he turned towards her, he was surprised to see her standing right behind him. He did not even hear her when she approached him.

"I'm really, sorry, Pogue. I am. You know what it was like for me back at that place—it was hell."

Pogue closed the open door and turned his attention back onto her. He did not know what was the right thing to say to her. He was pissed that she left him without a warning, but just seeing her in front of him again lessened the hurt that in his chest.

"I get that, I do, Aubs, but that doesn't change the fact that you left. You're my little sister."

Something dawned on him just then. He had not been living in the space at the garage for long, which made him question how his sister was able to find him.

"How'd you know where to find me?"

Aubrey did that thing she always did when she was nervous. She ducked her head, causing hair to fall carelessly in front of her face and then pinched the thin bands around her wrist. Aubrey typically kept her elastic hair ties on her wrist and when she was in a uncertain situation, she would pluck them like strings on a guitar. After a few snaps of the bands, she opened her mouth to speak.

"Promise not to be upset," she implored him as she gazed up at him with wide eyes.

He lifted his arms when he shrugged, dismissing any unease she felt. It was not enough for her, because she did not continue. Pogue sighed. "Fine, I promise. Now fess up."

"Okay, so, I came back to Ipswich before now. It was a few months after I left home and I just wanted to see how you were doing. I thought it would be okay and no one would even see me, but someone did—Caleb. I made him promise not to tell anyone that he saw me, but in exchange he asked that I at least keep in contact with him."

When she finished speaking, she waited for Pogue to react. He did not speak immediately, but Aubrey could see the rage building inside of him.

Pogue felt a wide range of emotions in that instant. That was the last thing he expected his sister to reveal to him. Caleb was like a brother to him and he had talked to him about Aubrey many times. All the times he confided in Caleb, and he never thought to share with him that little bit of information. Sure, Caleb promised Aubrey not to tell anyone about her presence in Ipswich, but he could not even say one thing about it Pogue.

He wanted to knock something over, but he remembered that he gave his word that he would not be upset. How could he not be upset? This was a lot to take in at once. Instead of physically expressing his frustration with the latest revelation, Pogue removed himself from the situation and walked towards the door.

Aubrey did not bother stopping him after he went outside to be alone. It was wrong for her to do that to him. Pogue probably felt as if that she could not trust him, which is the furthest thing from the truth. It was just easier to talk with Caleb. That did not make it more okay however.

Pogue had not come back inside since he left. It has been about ten minutes and Aubrey figured that she should join him.

Her brother was sitting just outside of the door with his back to her. He did not even react when she opened the door.

"Can I sit down?" Aubrey tentatively asked him.

When she got his okay, Aubrey moved to stand on his side before lowering herself down to the ground to sit next to him on the concrete step. Pogue was sitting with his knees pulled in to his chest and elbows resting on top of them with his hands pressed to his lips. He kept his gaze forward, never faltering for a second. Tension resided in his jaw as he kept it clenched to contain the pain.

"What made you come back?"

The question caught her off-guard. "It was the right time. I needed to come back. Not just for you, but for myself."

Pogue draped an arm around Aubrey's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Once she was close to him, he kissed the top of her head. "You're not leaving again, Aubs."

She smiled happily. She did not realize how much she missed her brother. It had been too long and she never wanted to experience life without him again. Aubrey settled her head on top of his shoulder and closed her eyes, content with the moment.

* * *

Pogue patiently waited for Caleb to answer the door. When Aubrey arrived, he completely forgot to share what he witnessed in the woods to Caleb. He also intended to question Caleb as to why he did not tell him that he was talking with Aubrey while she was gone. He could kill two birds with one stone.

Caleb was shocked to see Aubrey standing beside Pogue on the other side of the door. He had only communicated with her through letters and seeing her in person was a different experience. Judging by Pogue's expression, Caleb assumed that he knew about his contact with his sister and he was less than pleased.

"Come in," he said after clearing his throat.

After they were both inside, Caleb closed the door and turned to face them.

"When were you going to tell me, man?" Pogue had to know. Promise or no promise, Aubrey was not his responsibility.

Caleb and Aubrey locked eyes at that moment. She mouthed her apologies to him for putting him in a bad situation.

"There was never a right time to tell you. Aubrey disappeared and did not want to talk to anyone. I figured, I could eventually convince her to come back," Caleb explained himself.

Aubrey decided to speak up on Caleb's behalf to keep the conversation from elevating.

"Pogue, I know it will be hard, but can you please put this behind us? There are more important things we should be talking about, right?"

Pogue was nowhere near done with this, but his sister was right.

"Caleb, what happened to Laurel last night?"

"Laurel? She stepped outside to take a call and then she said she was able to get a friend to pick her up from Nicky's. Why?"

That did not make any sense to Pogue. He was positive the girl he found in the forest resembled Laurel. Unless Laurel had a twin, she could not be in two places at once. There was also the manner of her death to consider and the fire that burned away all the evidence of her presence.

He shared all the information with Caleb and waited for his input. It must have puzzled him, because Caleb did not respond right away.

"I haven't heard of anything like it," Caleb admitted. "We should check the Book for it and see if it can enlighten us."

"What book?" Aubrey asked.

"The Book of Silence," her brother answered.

"We should probably call Reid and Tyler, and have them meet us," Caleb said.

Pogue nodded in agreement, before he turned in direction of the door. He told Aubrey that they should get going, but Aubrey insisted he go on ahead without her, and that she would join him outside in the minute, because she said she needed to use the restroom.

He believed her small lie and went outside without her. Aubrey nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other while keeping her arms crossed over her chest. She did not know where to begin. The guy in front of her was not the same kid that used to come over to her house. He became a constant thing in her life after she left and hearing from him made her departure from Ipswich easier.

"I never got a chance to say thank you, Caleb," Aubrey said to him. She closed the space between them and hugged him. "Your letters became something I looked forward to while I was gone."

Caleb returned the hug, smiling all the while. "I'm just glad you're back, Aubrey."

He was the first to break the embrace. Caleb's gaze went to the door then back to her.

"He was a wreck without you, you know?"

Aubrey lowered her head. She knew it was true, but did her best to try and ignore it, because of the magnitude of pain that seemed to accompany those words. Caleb saw her expression change in that instant and he decided to make her feel better.

"But you're back now and that is really all that matters. Do you plan on attending Spenser?"

She seemed to appreciate the change in topic. Aubrey nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yes, I am, actually. I applied before I came back and got accepted. I hope you know that you're helping me study. As I recall, you are quite the outstanding student."

Caleb laughed at her acknowledgement. Aubrey joined him in his laughter, but they were cut short by a horn sounding.

"That's our cue," Aubrey said with a reluctant smile. She turned on the heels of her boots and exited the mansion, waving her hand to Caleb. "See you in a bit!"

Pogue was waiting for his sister on his motorcycle. The engine had more than enough time to warm up while he waited on her. When Aubrey approached the bike, Pogue handed her a helmet to wear, before she mounted the motorcycle. Once she was settled behind him, Pogue retracted the kickstand with his left foot and then, squeezed the throttle with his right hand, which propelled the bike forward.

* * *

The Book of Silence did not contain any information pertaining to what Pogue saw in the woods. Tyler suggested that the whole thing could just be a freak accident and dismissed the implication that it was anything that involved them. Pogue was adamant; however, that what he saw was anything but a freak accident. He wondered if it was beyond the scope of their knowledge or their ancestors' knowledge.

Eventually, they all went their separate ways and said they would look further into the matter later.

Aubrey suggested to Pogue that they should make a stop home, before they went to the garage. There was no use in waiting for the right time, because there would never be one. Her mother had been the reason why she ran away and Aubrey wanted to face her. Her brother was against the idea, but Aubrey did not back down.

The house had not changed in any way since Aubrey left. It was not as big or grand as the Danvers' estate, but it held its own with its old architecture and well-decorated lawn. As she walked closer to the front porch, Aubrey took several breaths to calm her racing heart. Pogue was at her side the whole way. Upon seeing her anxious expression, he assured her that everything would be fine and smiled at her. Aubrey was grateful for his comforting words and it gave her the courage to continue.

Pogue used his key to unlock the door for them and when he heard the locks slide out of place, he twisted the golden knob and pushed the door open. Aubrey stepped through the threshold first, taking in her surroundings.

"Still looks the same," she mused aloud.

"I'm so glad that you have come to your senses and decided to return home, Pogue," a female voice said.

Entering room from the dining room was Beatrice Parry, dressed in a long, pink satin nightgown and in her right hand she carried a glass of red wine. Her chocolate brown tresses were carefully tucked away into a loose bun, accentuating her features. Upon seeing her two children, the wine glass nearly slipped form her hand. There was no doubt in her mind that the young woman standing next to Pogue was her daughter.

She laughed wryly, dipping her head and raising her glass to the air. "Must be the wine."

Aubrey's eyebrows drew together as she narrowed her gaze at her mother. She looked at her brother, before stepping forward. "It really is me."

Beatrice's expression softened at those words. This was not a hallucination. Beatrice set the glass on top of the nearest surface and met her children in the middle of the room. Her cold hands were placed on either side of Aubrey's heart-shaped face. As she cupped her daughter's face, hot tears began to stream down Beatrice's face. It had been too long.

Despite the emotions her mother displayed, Aubrey did not budge. She did not show an inkling of the same sentiment.

"My precious little girl," Beatrice mused. "You've grown so beautifully. Where have you been?"

"Far from my prison here," Aubrey said, bluntly.

Her daughter's harsh words struck Beatrice hard. Aubrey did not understand. There was simply no way possible to explain herself to her daughter. She only did what was best for her and for the people around her. Aubrey's powers were uncontrollable and something that no one knew about.

Beatrice's hands fell to her side. "It was not that simple, Aubrey. You're my daughter and I only want to help you."

"If that is what you call helping me then I don't want your help at all," Aubrey countered. She backed away from her mother. "I asked Pogue to take me here so that you know were we stand."

"Aubrey," Beatrice pleaded.

Aubrey did not want to hear anymore of her mother's attempt to convince her that what she did was for the common good. She waved her hand dismissively at Beatrice and walked away from her. "I'm done here. Let's go, Pogue."

Pogue turned to follow his sister out the door, but his mother quickly moved forward to grab onto his hand. His mother's green eyes were red from her tears. The look she was giving him made his heart ache for her. All things aside, she was still his mother and no matter what happened, he could never completely remove her from his life.

"Pogue, please. Aubrey won't listen to me, but she will listen to you. Continue to watch out for her. I'm not asking you to correct my mistakes, but make her understand."

Pogue did not know what he could say. He simply nodded his head to her and then hugged her. "You don't need to worry, Mom. I'll always watch out for Aubrey."

After Pogue left, Beatrice was alone.

She reclaimed her abandoned wine glass and then, climbed the center stairs to the second level of the house. There was a door at the end of the hallway that led to her husband's study. Beatrice was the only person with the key to the room besides her husband himself. When she entered the study, she found her husband hunched over the mahogany desk positioned on the opposite end of the room.

"She's back in Ipswich, Wayne," Beatrice stated. She continued walking into the room until she stood next to him. "What are we going to do? We can't leave her trapped in this house like we used to."

Wayne Parry shared similar characteristics of his children. His daughter received his eye color and his son was almost an exact copy of Wayne. Except, Wayne's strong jawline was masked by the growth of facial hair that spanned from one ear to the other and he typically wore glasses to correct his failing vision.

He removed his glasses from his face and set them down carefully onto the desk. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he let out an exasperated sigh. "What can we do, Bea? She is not a little girl we can control anymore. For all we know, she probably won't even have powers after she turns eighteen. We know nothing about this."

He placed his hands on his wife's shoulders and massaged them mildly, before leaning in to kiss her tenderly. "It's best not to stress about this any longer. We'll handle it when the time comes."

That did not ease her nerves.

"I won't be able to do it, Wayne. She's our daughter," Beatrice said, her voice low as she lowered her head. She done all she could in the past to keep her daughter safe and her heart would surely break if all she had done amounted to nothing.

"We won't have any choice, love. If we don't then, someone else will,"Wayne insisted, grimly.


	5. V

I do not own The Covenant. I only own an OC I create and any content unfamiliar from the film.

* * *

V.

 _Helplessness. That was all he could feel as he watched the scene unfold before him. In the middle of a treeless clearing, there was a lone wooden pole surrounded by others in its likeness. At the base of the structure was a bed of golden hay waiting to be lit ablaze. Attached to the pole was his sister. Her torso, arms, and legs were bound by rope and kept her from struggling. Her head was inclined forward, which caused her hair to hide her face._

 _Faster than he imagined, a roaring fire emerged and began to eat at the wood. The fire wasted no time engulfing everything in sight and eventually began licking Aubrey's skin._

" _Pogue, help me, please," she begged, as she wriggled against the restraints._

" _Aubrey!" He shouted at his sister and scrambled to his feet, but the second he got footing on the ground, he got forced back onto his knees by an invisible force._

 _Her screams continually increased as the flames inched up her body. Her flesh popped and sizzled under the touch of the fire._

 _The sight of his sister suffering turned his stomach and caused tears to pool in his eyes. In a pained voice, he said her name in a continuous loop. When he looked up again to examine the state of his sister's body, he saw that her features had become unrecognizable from charring._

Pogue shot up from his bed. The rapid action caused him to knock over the lamp and alarm that was positioned close to the bed's edge. He had only one thought in his mind at the moment—Aubrey.

After tossing the blue sheets from his body, Pogue moved off the makeshift bed he set up in the living room and ran to his bedroom, where his sister was supposed to be sleeping. He did not bother with knocking; simply deciding to open the door without invitation.

The bed was empty, which caused Pogue's heartbeat to race. There was no way his nightmare could have been warning. The sheets were rumpled, but there was no sign of a struggle. That ruled out kidnapping.

He left the room and decided to check outside to determine if there were any more clues that would reveal where Aubrey could have gone. Pogue was relieved to find that Aubrey was sitting in one of the foldaway chairs positioned outside of the garage. In her hands was a cup of warm tea and she was sipping it contently as she stared up at the sky above her.

Upon hearing the noise, she turned to see her brother with a panicked expression on his face and sweat coating his forehead. Aubrey set the mug on the ground and got up from the chair to approach her brother.

"What happened?"

He was breathing hard as if he had just run a marathon. "You shouldn't be out here. Not by yourself."

Aubrey was confused from her brother's statement. "I don't understand. Why? What happened, Pogue? I just wanted to get some air, because I couldn't sleep."

Pogue placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them, and did his best not to let too much of the pain he felt show. "I'm sorry, Aubs. I just had a nightmare and wanted to make sure that you were okay."

She was silent for a moment, before speaking. "It was about me, wasn't it?"

When Pogue did not answer her, she continued. "I know that it is tough having me back after I left, but I promise you that I'm not going anywhere and that nothing is going to happen to me."

Her words did not seem to ease the anxious thoughts from her brother's mind. Aubrey figured she should try to change the subject instead. "So, will you be able to help me get adjusted at Spenser? I am a little nervous about being the new girl."

That seemed to do the trick, because Pogue relaxed as they continued to talk about Spenser. He warned her about a few of the teachers that might give her problems and a couple of students as well. When Pogue told her that he was on the swimming team, Aubrey was shocked to learn the information from him and asked him more questions about it. She informed him that it was one thing she was not interested in participating in and would not be as good as he was.

"Just try it. You might like it," Pogue insisted.

"Maybe," she said, not buying it for a second.

Aubrey glanced down at her watch. "We should both get some sleep if we want to function normally in the morning."

Pogue agreed and the siblings both re-entered the building.

* * *

 _3 Months Later…_

Caleb was sitting in the seat across from Pogue and Caleb at the quaint diner located downtown. It was not crowded; there were people scattered in the many booths and tables. The trio decided to have breakfast following Pogue and Caleb's swim practice in the morning. The new school semester was stating in a few weeks and the coach insisted in starting practice early.

Aubrey had been teasing her brother for the last five minutes about the girl she introduced him to. "C'mon, bro, spill! How did the date go? You have to tell me since I'm the one who introduced you to her."

Upon seeing the heated blush coming across his cheeks, Aubrey did not back down and was only more invested in finding out what happened between Kate and Pogue.

"I…uh… spilled a drink on her," Pogue admitted, and then quickly filled his mouth with the breakfast items on his plate.

Caleb and Aubrey began laughing in unison. When Aubrey found the strength to stop her laughter, she waved her hand at Pogue. "I don't mean to laugh, but that is great. You must really like her or you're just incredibly clumsy."

Pogue shook his head at them both as he chewed his food. He swallowed and took a sip from his drink, before countering their laughter with a weak rebuttal. "I don't even see why both of you are laughing. Caleb is worse than me. I mean, do you even know how to talk to a girl?"

Caleb held his hands up in surrender. "No need to put me down. I haven't spilled a drink on a girl before, Butterfingers."

Aubrey started laughing again.

A small, cough interrupted them and Aubrey muttered a subtle, "Oh shit," out of surprise when she saw who approached them. Standing next to their table was Kate. She was wearing a white sundress with roses filling the white spaces. The dress was just the right length and accentuated her long, brown legs, and the front dipped enough to display a minor amount of cleavage.

"Hey, Pogue. I really had fun last night and was wondering if you would want to hang out again sometime soon," Kate said with a charming smile on her face the whole time.

Pogue was caught by surprise from her invitation and her appearance. She really was beautiful. "Yeah, sure, that would be great. Call me, later?"

Kate nodded her head to him, before leaning in close to him to press a chaste kiss on his lips, before leaving their table and exiting the diner.

Caleb whistled in appreciation. "Maybe I need to start spilling drinks on girls."

"Shut up," Pogue said, lightly.

Fifteen minutes had passed and the other two Sons—Reid and Tyler—joined them. Reid moved into the spot next to Pogue and Tyler squeezed into the booth with Caleb and Aubrey. Reid placed a copy of the day's newspaper on the table, which earned a speculative look from the others at the table except for Tyler.

"Have y'all seen this?"

"No," they all responded.

Caleb grabbed the newspaper and glazed over it, taking in the information.

"What is it?" Pogue asked no one in particular; curious as to why Reid and Tyler brought the newspaper with them.

"Another body showed up. That's the sixth one since the girl you found months ago. Something is going on here. Something big and it's not normal," Tyler said.

"And they found no evidence that could possibly lead to a person responsible?"

Reid shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently not."

The murders meant something and the police were no closer to discovering who were behind the crimes. Judging by the way the bodies turned up, the Sons deduced that the murders were all supernatural, and that was all they knew.

"The person or persons responsible have been careful. At this rate, unless they are caught in the act; they will never be found and the bodies will continue to grow," Aubrey said.

"Should we start patrolling Ipswich or something," Tyler questioned.

Caleb set the newspaper back onto the table and considered Tyler's suggestion. It would be difficult for them to patrol the area since the bodies were found in different areas of the town, but it was not a bad idea.

"We could. Pogue and I will be a team, and you and Reid can be a team," Caleb stated.

Aubrey did not like not hearing her name. Frustrated, she threw her hands up. "What about me?"

"No, no, no, and did I mention; no," Pogue snapped at her. "You would not be able to defend yourself and I'm not putting you in the line of danger."

Sitting back into her seat, Aubrey folded her arms over her chest and looked away from the boys with an angry pout. Her brother made it seem like she was a helpless lamb, who needed to be protected and could not do anything for herself. Aubrey excused herself from the booth and after Tyler let her out, she exited the diner and let the door slam behind her.

* * *

Aubrey brushed back her hair to smooth out the stray strands as she secured it into a tight, high ponytail. She set the brush down onto the dresser then stepped away from it to examine her appearance in the mirror. The Spenser uniform was not as horrible as she thought it would be.

It was the first day of classes and she was not looking forward to being the new girl at Spenser. Pogue told her that she would not be the only new student at Spenser, which prompted her to remind him that she was the only Parry attending Spenser after a mysterious disappearance. Gossip had a habit of forming from circumstances such as that.

She was ready to head out of the door when her splitting headache reminded her of the events of last night. Aubrey pressed both of her forefingers to her temples as she attempted to massage the pain away. Upon closing her eyes, visions of last night flashed before her.

The images of several bloodied bodies were revealed to her. The images did not disappear from her mind quickly, but instead they lingered and every detail was evident to her—from the colors of their eyes to the clothes they were wearing.

The images were not alone. Voices and noises accompanied them, which forced Aubrey to her knees, whimpering in pain. "What is happening to me?"

Suddenly a unfamiliar smell invaded her nostrils. At first she thought it was all in her head, but when she opened her eyes, Aubrey saw that her comforter was bathed in flames. The sudden appearance of the fire caused Aubrey to calm down. After taking several long, deep breaths and refocusing her mind, the fire began to die down until it seemed as though nothing happened.

She grabbed her backpack that was waiting for her by the door, and then left her bedroom to leave the apartment and join her brother at Spenser.


	6. VI

I do not own any content from the film, but I do claim any content that is unfamiliar.

* * *

VI

Just outside of the garage, a black Hummer was parked. Aubrey waved at the person driving the vehicle, before turning her back to it as she locked the door behind her.

The passenger door of the truck was unlocked and when she hopped inside, she was greeted by Tyler's warm, smiling face.

"Thanks for giving me a lift. I did not want to make Pogue late this morning." Aubrey closed the door and then, she shifted her bag to the floor.

"It's no problem at all. You're just lucky that I was running late, too."

Tyler did not waste any time as he cruised down the barren roads leading to Spenser Academy. Aubrey welcomed the cool August air from the open car windows as it caressed her cheek. She loved this time of the year, because of the nearly perfect weather and she enjoyed watching the leaves fall from the tall trees.

After Tyler parked the vehicle in the parking lot, Aubrey was about to get out of the car when he caught her wrist. He received a perplexed expression from Aubrey until realization set into her eyes, which caused Tyler to retract his hold on her and Aubrey settled back into her seat.

She exhaled quietly. She hoped that they would not have to discuss what happened the other night, but apparently only one of them wanted to forget. Aubrey tugged at the band around her wrist absently. "I don't know what you want from me."

"Is that all you have to say to me, Aubrey? I'm sure you were as into it as I was."

"I'm not saying that I wasn't, Tyler. It was just one night—that's it."

He shook his head at her. The words coming out of her mouth could not have been the truth. Aubrey was the one that made the first move—not the other way around. He was not expecting much from the night they shared together, but he did not want her to treat him like he was nothing to her either.

"Explain to me why you have been ignoring me since then." He did not give her the chance to retort. "Am I only worth something to you when you need something?"

"No, that's not it," she said to him, her voice rising.

"Then what is it then, Aubrey? Please tell me, because I'm a little lost here."

He was relentless. The tension between them had built up this point and it reached its peak. Tyler kept his blue eyes trained on the girl who sat adjacent to him. He was stupid to have let her in again. From the mischievous glint in her eyes when she smiled to her eloquent words, Tyler knew she was trouble, but for some reason he felt compelled to her.

Aubrey did not say anything further, which only upset Tyler more. There was no use in beating a dead horse. Both of them sat in silence for a few passing beats.

"Are we done?" Aubrey's tone was absent of any emotion.

"Far from it."

Tyler leaned over the console and captured Aubrey's unsuspecting lips with his own. Upon meeting her soft lips, he was quickly reminded of their short time together and ignored their troubles for a few more seconds until reality slapped him in the face again.

The kiss left Aubrey feeling rooted in her spot. She was not sure how to even react to Tyler's surprising kiss considering how things were between them. When he broke the kiss, Aubrey fumbled with the door handle, before she briskly left the vehicle and rushed for the entrance to Spenser. She subtly glanced at Tyler over her shoulder as she adjusted the black straps of her bag, and then disappeared inside.

* * *

She braced her hands on the sink in front of her. The color of her knuckles slowly lost their color as her grip intensified. Aubrey kept her head lowered and her eyes closed as she attempted to block out the pain encompassing her at the moment.

"Please not now," she begged.

A splitting pain in her head sent her to her knees and caused her to grasp her head. He was here. That was the only explanation for the sudden pain she was experiencing.

 _You're running out of time and I've reached the limit of my patience._

The detached voice in her head spoke to her in a disdainful tone.

She desperately wanted to plead her case, but the words were lost on her tongue. The pain intensified and steadily increased until she blacked out, which sent her toppling onto the cold, pale blue tiles beneath her.

"Bree?" A soft, feminine voice called out uncertainly.

Sitting on a wooden chair positioned near the infirmary bed was a girl who kept a cool cloth pressed to Aubrey's clammy forehead. The girl's brown eyes were full of concern as she regarded her friend lying in the bed.

A grateful smile appeared on the girl's face when she saw Aubrey's eyes fluttering open, forcing her dimples to the forefront.

"Saoirse? Is that you?"

Saoirse nodded her head, tears welling in her eyes. "Been awhile, huh? I don't think I ever thought about us reuniting this way."

Aubrey laughed at that. "Neither did I. It's good to see you."

"What happened to you? I found you collapsed on the floor. There was some blood coming from your nose so I thought I should bring you here."

There was no easy explanation. Saoirse would never be able to handle the truth. Aubrey just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. One minute I was fine and then next, I don't know."

It was a half-truth.

"You didn't carry me all the way here, right?"

Aubrey did not see her brother or the other likely candidates who could have carried her to the infirmary.

"I tried, but luckily enough for the both of us, this guy helped me get you here without causing any more damage."

"What guy? I owe him a thank you."

Saoirse turned in her seat and craned her head to see if she could spot him from her spot. Her face scrunched together as she searched. Giving up, Saoirse told Aubrey she would check outside the room.

When Saoirse returned, she was not alone. She was successful in her search for the guy who helped carry Aubrey to the infirmary.

Aubrey sat up in an instant, recognizing the male immediately. She knew the benefactor all too well and his presence only confirmed that the warnings she received earlier were not empty threats.

Those steely blue eyes bored into her, reminding her of the person who stood only a few feet from her. He was about the same height as her brother, but to her he seemed even more menacing. It was not because of the height, but rather the way the air seemed to crackle from his powerful presence.

He regarded her with a warm smile and put on the best show for his audience. "Glad to see you up. You had us worried back there."

Aubrey returned his smile, but it fell short. She lifted her eyes to meet with her childhood friend's. "Can you give us a minute?"

"Sure, of course. You're in capable hands." Before Saoirse left the room, she gestured to Aubrey in an approving way.

 _If only she knew_.

"She's nice. A little too chatty, but still nice," Chase remarked, looking off in the direction Saoirse left, before turning his attention back to her. "You should be more careful next time."

"What are you doing here?"

Chase sat in the seat that Saoirse vacated earlier and leaned in closer to Aubrey, which caused her body to tense.

"I wanted to keep a closer eye on my…assets," he informed her.

Aubrey scoffed at that.

"You're slowly going to self destruct and when that happens, you're going to be begging for me to help you."

"I am more than capable in controlling myself. I don't want nor do I need your help. Besides, I have my brother and my friends. You're nothing to me."

Chase shot up from the seat and braced his arms on either side of Aubrey's body. Aubrey did not shrink back from the sudden intrusion of her space. Instead, she lifted her chin defiantly and met his gaze with the same challenging glint he had in his eyes.

"Resist me all you want, sweetheart. You and I both know how this will end." He lifted one hand to grasp her chin. "When your precious brother and the other Sons are gone, who will be there for you then?"

He pressed his lips to her cheek tauntingly, before releasing her and moving away from Aubrey.

As soon as he left, Aubrey released the breath she did not realize she was holding and retreated within herself. She curled herself into a ball, buried her face into her knees, and fought against the tears that threatened to pour from her eyes.

* * *

Chase Collins entered the classroom with Caleb Danvers at his side. After assisting Aubrey, he met with the provost to check-in with him at Provost Higgins' request. The provost introduced him to Caleb and asked him to guide him during his time at Spenser. It was probably the best way to get close to the Sons without any difficulties.

There were many empty seats available in the room and Chase allowed Caleb to lead the way to a pair of seats in the middle. Caleb sat on his right and on his left was a guy similar in height to him. He looked out of place dressed in the Spenser uniform, but there was no mistaking the likeness the siblings shared.

Chase stretched out a hand to Pogue. "Chase Collins."

Pogue accepted his hand, shaking it and introducing himself. "Pogue Parry."

The remaining students filed into the classroom before class commenced. Tyler and Reid found their seats just below where Chase, Pogue, and Caleb were sitting.

Seeing them without her sister in tow, he got nervous. Aubrey told him that she was catching a ride with Tyler. He reached down over the desk to get Tyler's attention.

"Have you seen Aubs?"

Tyler shifted in his seat and gave a dismissive shrug of his shoulders, shaking his head. "I haven't seen her since I dropped her off this morning, man."

Pogue looked to Reid and then to Caleb. Both of them responded with no.

Chase smiled to himself, before he spoke up. "Is her name Aubrey?"

Pogue's head turned in Chase's direction upon hearing his sister's name from the guy he just met. "Yes, it is."

"She was not feeling well so, I helped her to the infirmary."

Just as he was about to jump out of his seat and rush to the infirmary to check on his sister; he saw her familiar head of ash brown curls bounce up and down as she rushed through the door. She murmured a quick apology to the teacher she bumped into when she squeezed past him.

Saoirse saved her a spot next to her. She flagged her friend down and Aubrey hurried up the steps to take the spot saved for her. The combined voices of the murmuring students broke the silence as Aubrey raced up to her seat.

She sunk into her seat and silently prayed that the floor beneath her would open up, and swallow her whole. Her best friend reached to give her a comforting squeeze on her shoulder and mouthed to her to keep her head up.

"Everyone likes a good gossip," she said.

Pogue tossed one of his erasers at her shoulder to get his sister's attention. She revolved around in her seat to shoot daggers at the culprit, but the tension that gathered in her eyebrows went away when she saw her brother's face. Aubrey smiled at him apologetically and gestured to him that they would talk later.

Her smile dropped the instant she saw who sat next to her brother.

Chase gave her a subtle look that seemed to tell her that the game was on and he was more than willing to play ball. She was stupid for thinking that she could run from her problems.

 _This was Hell and she was its newest resident._


	7. VII

I do not own anything from the film, but I do claim all things unfamiliar from the film.

VII.

"Another woman has been reported missing. The police are unsure if the disappearance of this young woman is connected with the previous abductions, but the police are urging everyone to be vigilant and to report any suspicious characters."

Chase was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when he heard the female reporter's voice from the main room. He could the uneasy tone in the reporter's voice as she continued to relay information. No matter how hard she tried to maintain a unattached tone of voice; Chase knew that the report bothered her.

Once he finished with his task and returned the toothbrush to the blue cup positioned near the faucet, he heard a faint knock at his door. Chase knew that it could only be one person since practically no one knew him well enough to come to his door.

He decided to end the assault on his door and when he opened it, he was pleased to find Aubrey Parry on the other side of the threshold. Her ash hair framed her face as she met his gaze with an unmoving expression.

"How unexpected," Chase said to her in an amused tone.

Aubrey was slightly caught off guard by Chase's current state of dress. The plain white towel he wore around his hips left very little to the imagination and she was fairly certain that he was only trying to irritate her even more so than usual.

She stepped around him and entered his room, before anyone saw them together. The first thing she noticed about Chase's room was the lack of personality. The room seemed to carry no personal touches except for the necessary items.

Aubrey sat in the wooden chair that was positioned near the desk.

"You need to leave, Chase. You can't be here."

He picked up the remote on the desk and turned the TV off. "Sorry, I can't do that. I've made some good friends. You might know them."

Aubrey narrowed her eyes at him.

"What is your endgame? My brother and my friends are not apart of the plan, Chase. Are you just trying to mess with me?"

Chase moved until he stood just in front of Aubrey. He watched as her posture stiffened from his nearness and knew that it was out of the fear he instilled in her. Reaching out, he toyed with one of her loose curls until he slid his hand past her cheek to grab her by the nape of her neck.

"This is my game, little girl. What I do doesn't concern you, but what you do concerns me. Don't forget the real reason why you came back to Ipswich."

Aubrey removed his hand from her neck and moved away from him. They stared at each other with the same hardened gaze, but neither one intended on backing down soon. Behind her, Aubrey could hear several items rattle as her anger mounted.

"Go ahead, Aubrey. Show me what I've taught you," he urged her.

She fought against the power that surged inside her for years and Chase helped her at a time when she felt alone with no one who understood her. She promised to repay him for his assistance, but never knew the cost of his help. She made a deal with the devil and he was here to collect.

Just when she thought she was going to use her power against him, she pushed the urge down and expelled her breath.

"You're not worth it."

"I'm a patient man, Aubs," he said, taunting her by using Pogue's nickname for her.

She headed for the door, but not before turning to face him and informed him that she would use all that she possessed to stop him.

Chase laughed as she turned her back on him yet again. It was not the first time and it would not be the last. Aubrey was a stubborn woman, but he knew everything about her, and she knew so little about him. The time would come when she would be begging for his help like she did years ago and then everything that she wants to protect would end.

Pogue and Aubrey walked side-by-side as they exited the classroom. Once they were in the hallway, Pogue asked Aubrey to speak with him outside in the courtyard. Aubrey kept her arm laced with her brother's until they were outside. After she released him, Aubrey settled herself onto the iron bench near the fountain.

"What did you want to talk about?" she questioned him.

He waited a moment before he spoke. "I wanted to see if you wanted to stop by the house and talk to mom."

Aubrey's smile instantly faded and her demeanor grew rigid. "Sorry, Pogue. Not happening."

"Just hear me out here, Aubs. Mom's birthday is coming up and even though you two have your issues, we're still family."

Aubrey bit her bottom lip as she debated. Her brother was right. For the sake of her family, she could at least try. She eventually nodded her head. "Okay, I'll try."

Pogue grinned upon hearing her willingness to try and wrapped her up into a hug. When they broke apart, he told her that they would stop by after classes were done.

At the end of the day, Aubrey met her brother by his motorcycle and they rode together to the Parry house. When they were parked outside of the house, Pogue instructed Aubrey to wait by the bike until he signaled her to join them inside so that he could ease Aubrey into the meeting with their mother.

When he entered the house, he headed straight for the living room and found his mother sitting on one of the loveseats with a book in her left hand and a porcelain cup in her other.

"You came," she stated, simply and set her book aside so that he had her undivided attention. "Is Aubrey with you? Is she going to give me another chance?"

"You know how stubborn Aubrey is. I'm not going to push her if she doesn't want to," Pogue stated.

He was seated right across from his mother in the living room. She called him as soon as classes ended, and asked if he could stop by to talk. He should have known that their talk would go down this path.

Beatrice set her tea onto the coffee table next to her and rose from her seat so that she could move towards the mantle. She smiled at the framed pictures that were positioned there, before brushing her fingers over the glass of one of them.

"I just want a second chance with her. That is all. She's my little girl."

Before Pogue could say another word, he noticed that Aubrey was standing near the doorway. Her expression was unreadable, but her presence was enough to show that she wanted to rebuild the relationship she once had with her mother.

Aubrey walked further into the room, dropping her bag onto the nearest armchair before she slowly approached her mother. With her back to her, Beatrice didn't even notice her.

"I'm willing to try," Aubrey confirmed.

Beatrice turned around quickly, as if the image of her daughter would disappear in an instant. Overjoyed, Beatrice began stepping towards Aubrey, but Aubrey retreated a few steps back.

"Let's just try to take things slowly, okay?" Aubrey said gently. She didn't want to hurt her mother's feelings, but she just couldn't bring herself to hug her just yet. "I'll move back into the house tomorrow and then we will go from there."

Beatrice nodded her head in agreement. "I'll have your room ready for you by then."

"Actually, could you just please put me in one of the guest rooms?"

After her mother agreed to allow her to stay in the guest room, Aubrey excused herself and exited the house. Pogue was not far behind.

He caught Aubrey by the sleeve of her sweater and pulled her to a stop. When she turned to face him, Pogue noticed that water had begun to pool in her eyes. They didn't say a word to each other for that moment. Pogue hugged his sister, gently soothing her.

"I'm so proud of you, Aubs. I'll be with you every step of the way—remember that."

 _Flashback_

"I can't do it," Aubrey shouted in frustration. Her anger continued to mount inside of her as she focused on the task at hand. All she needed to do was levitate, but she couldn't quite get it.

A strange smell filled the air a second later. When she searched for the source, Aubrey discovered that a small fire started and was slowly licking the carpet under her. She sprung up from her spot and rushed to pour some water over it. Once the fire was out, she let out a small sigh of relief.

"I'm a freak—simple as that. At this rate I will never be able to blend in and try to be normal. If I can't channel my powers, how could I ever return home?"

Chase was reclining against one of the walls, staring at the tattered baseball that hovered a few inches above his hand. He did not even react to Aubrey's outburst. It was not until she marched across the room and stood over him that he glanced in her direction. He lifted a single eyebrow, questioning her presence without saying a word.

If steam could come from her ears, it would have in that moment. He infuriated her to a level that reminded her of a ring of Hell in Dante's Inferno. Of all the people she was stuck with; it just had to be him.

With a simple wave of her hand, Aubrey swatted the ball from the air and sent it crashing into the kitchen.

"Would you pay attention to me for five seconds? You're supposed to be training me, remember?"

She paced around him, gesturing with her hands as she spoke. "If I ever want to return home, I have to seem as if I don't have any powers. I can't do that if I have no control over them."

Chase did not respond to her again.

Before she could open her mouth to continue her rant, Chase silenced her. Aubrey moved her lips, but no sound came out. He put her on mute. Literally.

"Now that I have some quiet, I can think," he said, obviously satisfied with his actions.

He rose from the floor, dusted off the back of his jeans, and then proceeded to walk towards the kitchen where his abandoned baseball landed. Chase cleaned up the mess Aubrey made before he started to make a sandwich for lunch.

Aubrey was not far behind. She gestured to him angrily, demanding to have her voice back, but he ignored her even more so than before. Eventually she noticed her efforts were futile and she decided to patiently wait on the sofa until Chase granted her voice back to her.

"So you do know what patience is," he mused. Chase gingerly patted her on her cheek. "Maybe you are learning something after all."

Aubrey stretched her right arm across her body as she used her left arm to deepen and hold the stretch. She was dressed in a plain navy bathing suit and her hair was secured into a single braid. Swimming was never really her thing, but it was a big deal at Spenser. Though she did not plan on joining the team, the coach still wanted to see what she could do in the water considering her brother was an excellent swimmer. Just because one sibling was practically a tadpole does not guarantee that the coach would get a package set of tadpoles.

She jumped at the sensation of a cool hand against the exposed part of her lower back, but relaxed when she saw Tyler's familiar blue eyes. He was smiling at her like he did not have a care in the world.

"I'm here to support you, Bree. Don't feel nervous. You're not expected to join the team.

Aubrey shook at her head at the assumption. "No, it's not like that. I just—," Aubrey lost her train of thought when her eyes locked with Chase's on the other side of the pool. Feeling the heat of his gaze on her made a chill run down her spine.

She swatted Tyler's hands away from her and walked briskly in the opposite direction, leaving Tyler utterly confused for the second time today. It was hard to get closer to Tyler or any of the others with those haunting eyes watching her every move.

The coach stepped forward and blew his whistle to gather everyone's attention. Once the volume in the room decreased significantly, he began to speak.

"We're going to do some warm-ups to get everyone's blood pumping. First, we'll have the boys this round and then the girls, and we'll go from there."

He took a moment to scan down his list and called four boys to start the warm ups. The coach seemed to be pulling two from the top of the alphabet and two from the bottom of the alphabet to throw off the order.

Aubrey sat on the bleachers with her eyes trained on the pool and her fingers moving lithely as she twisted her hair tie around them. The coach had called her brother, Caleb, Chase, and a boy named Eli. This was not going to go well.

The boys lined up and got in the starting position, waiting for the coach to blow the whistle to signal them to start. Chase had brushed past her before his name was called and gave her a choice to make: she could save either her brother or Caleb. If she didn't make a choice then he would hurt them both right then without waiting for her decision. She did not know how she was going to do it at the time, but she was going to save both.

The shrill sound of the whistle broke Aubrey out of her reverie. She needed to focus if she wanted to beat Chase at his mind game.

Chase was leading the pack, but the rest weren't too far behind him. The race was just foreplay for Chase. He could care less if he won. His only concern was watching Aubrey squirm like a worm on a hook while he held all the pieces to the game she did not know how to play. When they were on the last leg of the race, he knew it was time to make his move. In between taking a breath of air and prepping for the next stroke of his arm, Chase summoned the power within him. He was about to use it against Caleb and Pogue, when he felt a sharp tug on his right leg, which caused him to pause. This was new. Not long after, he was pulled underneath. The unexpected action caused him to take in some of the water and before he could do anything to stop anymore from entering his lungs, he blacked out.

Caleb slowed to a stop when he saw Chase go under the water. He looked across the lane to see that Pogue had stopped as well. Caleb was the first one to get to Chase and bring him back to the surface. Caleb managed to get Chase out of the pool and laid him down on the cool floor. Immediately, he began working to bring Chase back to consciousness. Luckily, Chase didn't take in too much water and he came to rather quickly.

The coach canceled the rest of the warm ups and told everyone to change. Caleb and Pogue offered to help Chase get to the infirmary, which the coach allowed and decided to go with them as well so that he could file a report with the provost.

Aubrey was about to follow her brother and Caleb out until she felt a hand on her arm. She turned and noticed that it was Tyler who held her still. Upon seeing his serious face, she could tell that he must have seen her.

"Tyler, I can explain," she began.

He held up a hand to silence her, and she obliged. She cast her gaze downward, not willing to look into those blue eyes.

"What the hell was that, Aubrey? I didn't even know you could do that. Does Pogue know about this?"

Aubrey shook her head. "No, he doesn't. You don't understand, Tyler."

She wanted to tell Tyler everything just then, but she knew she couldn't. He was safer if he knew nothing about Chase. Aubrey reached out to take Tyler's hand, but he immediately moved it out of her reached when he saw her intentions.

"You're not who I thought you were. Secrets don't stay secrets for long, Aubrey. Pogue won't hear anything from me, but you should probably be the one to tell him."

With those last words, Tyler left Aubrey there by herself and headed for the locker rooms.

When Aubrey was sure that the area was clear, she visited Chase at the infirmary. She was not surprised to find him expecting her. Chase greeted her with one of his impish smiles and waved her to come in closer so that she may take the seat near the bed. She did so without saying a word, her eyes trained on him all the while.

"Cute trick. I'll admit, you caught me by surprise."

"Next time you won't be so lucky, Chase," she warned him.

Chase brought his arms behind his head, not worried about Aubrey's threats in the slightest. "How's Tyler?"

When Aubrey didn't respond right away, Chase knew he hit the right nerve.

"I'm sure he was shocked when he saw your little trick, too. Did he take it well? I'm guessing he didn't. So sorry."

"What more do you want from me?"

"Simply, Aubrey. I want you to finish what we started. You still need me and I still need you," he stated.

"I can't and I won't. I just want to be normal," Aubrey said, exasperated.

"Well, I hate to break this to you, sweetheart, but you're not normal and you will never be."

"We're done here," Aubrey stated, and pushed away from the bed and exited the room without looking back. .


End file.
